Palm Drive to reopen ahead of schedule

STANFORD -- Palm Drive, the main entryway to Stanford University from Palo
Alto, is scheduled to be reopened to traffic the evening of Friday, Aug. 26,
nearly three weeks ahead of schedule.

The road has been closed from the Oval to Arboretum Road since work began
the week of July 11. From Arboretum to El Camino, only one lane in each
direction has been open to traffic during construction.

The closure had been scheduled to last through Sept. 15. Even if it had
taken until then, the project was considered to be on an "accelerated"
schedule, with crews working nights and weekends, said Michael Kuntz, project
manager in facilities operations.

Even after the crews from PAVEX, the contractor, are gone, work will
continue on the Palm Drive corridor through October, Kuntz said. This work
will involve mostly landscaping and pathway improvements. Also, the Campus
Drive-Palm intersection is scheduled to be realigned.

Drivers on the "new" Palm Drive should pay attention to the new lane
configuration and turn restrictions, Kuntz said. Among the changes:

Palm is now two lanes, one in each direction, from the Oval to Campus
Drive.

From Campus Drive to Arboretum, Palm is an alternating three-lane
street.

Left turns are no longer allowed onto Arboretum from either direction.

Left turns are no longer allowed onto Palo Road from northbound Palm
Drive, or from Palo onto Palm.

The "crown" of the road has been lowered to modern-day drainage
standards.

A granite curb is in place, and along with it, a slotted drain system
that should prevent each winter's infamous mini-floods.

During the closure of Palm Drive, traffic restrictions were removed from
Serra Street through the campus. Those restrictions (bollards and
"pan-busters") will be restored after Palm Drive is reopened.

University officials are planning a formal re-opening ceremony, perhaps to
be held in conjunction with the city of Palo Alto's centennial celebration.

-pr-

lid, pw palmreopens

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